The IWA delegation at the White House on Tuesday, including second on right, James Doherty of Sliabh Liag Distillers
A Donegal man is leading a delegation from the Irish Whiskey Association who are in Washington D.C. this week for meetings with senior U.S. government officials and members of Congress.
James Doherty, managing director of Sliabh Liag Distillers, is chairman of the Irish Whiskey Association – the lead body for the all-island Irish whiskey industry.
The delegation, which also includes Irish Whiskey Association director William Lavelle, is attending pre-St Patrick’s Day meetings in the White House and U.S. Congress.
The delegation today joined colleagues from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States in a meeting in the White House with senior staff of the Biden administration.
Further meetings are planned with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Office of the United States Trade Representative.
The delegation is holding a series of meetings in the U.S. Congress, including with Congressman Richard Neal, who is co-chair of the Friends of Ireland caucus, an organisation set up to advance the cause of peace in Northern Ireland. The delegation also attended Irish whiskey promotional events in New York and Philadelphia.
The Irish Whiskey Association is using the visit to Washington D.C. to push for increased protection for Irish whiskey in the United States, in the context of the rise of imitation Irish-like and Irish-style whiskeys.
The Irish Whiskey Association and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States are also using joint meetings this week to press for the permanent ending of a number of currently suspended transatlantic trade disputes.
Commenting on the visit, William Lavelle, director of the Irish Whiskey Association, said: “The United States remains Irish whiskey’s largest market, accounting for over 40% of our global sales.
“This visit is about putting in place the conditions for continued growth of authentic Irish whiskey, benefitting the whole island of Ireland.”
